News Release |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DATE: September 12, 2024 |
CONTACT: Kathy Sautter 716 635 5577 |
| NORTHEAST GROCERY, INC. ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF TALLY ROBOT PILOT PROGRAM IN SELECT TOPS
Becomes First Grocer to Utilize this Cutting-Edge Technology in its Retail Markets |
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| (Schenectady, NY) – Northeast Grocery, Inc., the parent company of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets (Tops), is excited to announce the launch of a pilot program featuring the Tally robot, an innovative, autonomous solution designed by Simbe Robotics. This pilot will introduce cutting-edge technology in select stores, with the goal of enhancing inventory management, improving pricing accuracy, and elevating the overall customer shopping experience. Northeast Grocery, Inc. is the first retail grocery chain to utilize this technology across many of its markets in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The pilot program, set to run from September 2024 through January 2025, will be conducted in 10 stores— five Price Chopper/Market 32 locations in East Greenbush, Catskill, Amsterdam, Johnstown, and Queensbury, NY, and five Tops Markets in Amherst (two locations), Depew, Hamburg, and Orchard Park, NY. Tally will autonomously navigate store aisles up to three times a day, scanning shelves to identify out-of-stock items and pricing discrepancies, which will allow store teams to address issues more quickly and efficiently. This proactive approach to inventory management will free up store staff to focus on providing a higher level of customer service. “As a company, we are always looking for ways to innovate and enhance both our operations and the customer experience,” said Scott Kessler, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Northeast Grocery, Inc. “The Tally robot allows us to address inventory and pricing challenges with incredible precision while giving our store teams the tools they need to focus on what matters most— serving our customers. We’re excited to see how this AI and Robotics technology will improve our stores and are eager to evaluate its potential for expansion to other locations." Tally’s technology offers significant operational benefits. By identifying up to 10 times more out-of-stock items than manual store checks, Tally has the potential to reduce out-of-stock rates by 60%, ensuring that customers are more likely to find the products they need. Additionally, stores using Tally in previous pilot programs have seen a 90% improvement in pricing accuracy, making sure customers are charged correctly at checkout. Tally’s detailed reporting will give stores and business intelligence teams daily actionable data, allowing them to focus on high-priority issues such as restocking shelves and correcting price tags. This is expected to not only improve operational efficiency but also positively impact sales as stores see better product availability and pricing accuracy. While Tally operates autonomously, it does so in a discreet manner, ensuring that the shopping experience is uninterrupted and at no point are guests being photographed or filmed by the technology. Tally makes subtle noises to avoid surprising or startling anyone as it scans shelves. If Tally encounters a guest, it will either pause, go around them, or turn around and come back later. Customers are encouraged to provide feedback during the pilot, which will help shape the future of this initiative. Tally is designed to complement the work of store employees, not replace them. By handling repetitive tasks like scanning shelves for inventory and price accuracy, Tally frees up team members to engage in other important activities and responsibilities that contribute to an exceptional shopping experience, in turn creating a more fulfilling and enjoyable work environment as well. At the conclusion of the pilot in January 2025, Northeast Grocery, Inc. will review the data and determine next steps, including the potential expansion of the Tally robots to additional stores.
### About Northeast Grocery, Inc. Headquartered in Schenectady, NY, Northeast Grocery, Inc. (NGI) is the parent company of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets, which collectively operate nearly 300 supermarkets across New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire and employ more than 30,000 teammates/associates. NGI is No. 49 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. With more than 150 years of industry leadership combined, both Tops and Price Chopper/Market 32 share longstanding traditions of innovative food merchandising and exceptional customer service and are driven to provide sustainably sourced, high-quality products to nourish the communities in which they operate while reducing environmental waste and energy consumption. For additional information, please visit www.pricechopper.com and www.topsmarkets.com.
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